‘May you keep flying like superman in microgravity’: Tributes pour in from around the globe

LONDON — Tributes from around the world began to pour in Wednesday for Stephen Hawking, one of the world’s most famous scientists, who died age 76.

Hawking, an intellectual giant who became an international symbol the power of the human mind, died peacefully at his home in Cambridge, England.

The celebrated British physicist probed the mysteries of the cosmos and helped to popularize science with books like “A Brief History of Time,” an international bestseller.

When he was just 21, he was diagnosed with a rare form of motor neuron disease and told by doctors he had only a few years to live. His illness left him unable to move a muscle and he could only talk with the help of a voice synthesizer.

On Wednesday morning, “Stephen Hawking” was trending worldwide on social media.

NASA, the U.S. space agency, tweeted: “His theories unlocked a universe of possibilities that we & the world are exploring. May you keep flying like superman in microgravity, as you said to astronauts on @Space_Station in 2014.”

Remembering Stephen Hawking, a renowned physicist and ambassador of science. His theories unlocked a universe of possibilities that we & the world are exploring. May you keep flying like superman in microgravity, as you said to astronauts on @Space_Station in 2014 pic.twitter.com/FeR4fd2zZ5

“We lost a great one today,” wrote Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft.

We lost a great one today. Stephen Hawking will be remembered for his incredible contributions to science – making complex theories and concepts more accessible to the masses. He’ll also be remembered for his spirit and unbounded pursuit to gain a complet…https://t.co/z1du859Gy2

The astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson said his passing had “left an intellectual vacuum.”

His passing has left an intellectual vacuum in his wake. But it’s not empty. Think of it as a kind of vacuum energy permeating the fabric of spacetime that defies measure. Stephen Hawking, RIP 1942-2018. pic.twitter.com/nAanMySqkt

It wasn’t just the scientists that mourned his passing, but tributes came from 10 Downing Street as well, where the prime minister’s account celebrated him as an “inspiration” and one of the “great scientists of his generation.”

“Professor Stephen Hawking was a brilliant and extraordinary mind – one of the great scientists of his generation. His courage, humour and determination to get the most from life was an inspiration. His legacy will not be forgotten.” — PM

Hawking also was a cultural phenomena, appearing on shows like The Simpsons and The Big Bang Theory as well as an episode Star Trek: The Next Generation in which he played poker with actors portraying Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton. Films were also made about his life, including “The Theory of Everything,” which saw Eddie Redmayne win an Oscar for his portrayal of Hawking.

Hawking was also known for his wit and sense of humor. Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at Harvard, recalled that when he gave lectures he would add in jokes even when it was difficult for him to speak.

I recall when we has giving lectures and it was a huge effort for him to speak (before the tracheotomy and the computer voice) he still made the effort to throw jokes in. That says something.